The White Sox informed reporters (including Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times) that they’ve inked infielder Andre Lipcius to a minor league contract. He’ll get a non-roster invitation to MLB Spring Training.
Lipcius returns to the AL Central, where he’s spent the majority of his career. The Tigers selected him in the third round of the 2019 draft. The Tennessee product reached the majors with Detroit at the end of the ’23 campaign. He hit .286/.342/.400 in a 13-game sample. The Tigers squeezed him off the 40-man roster last winter. They traded him to the Dodgers, who outrighted him just before Opening Day.
The righty-hitting Lipcius spent the entire season with the Dodgers’ top affiliate in Oklahoma City. He had a solid season, hitting 25 homers with a .271/.351/.458 slash while appearing in 140 games. He drew walks at a strong 10.7% clip while striking out at a league average 22.8% rate. The Dodgers never called him up, so he elected minor league free agency at the end of the season.
While Lipcius has limited MLB experience, he’s a sensible depth target for the White Sox. He carries a .276/.360/.444 slash line in more than 1200 Triple-A plate appearances. Lipcius doesn’t make a ton of hard contact — this year’s home run tally was certainly aided by playing in the Pacific Coast League — but he has good strike zone discipline. A third baseman in college and for most of his time in the Detroit system, he played mostly first base with OKC. He has some experience at second base as well.
The Sox tendered Andrew Vaughn an arbitration contract, meaning he’s likely to remain the starting first baseman. Miguel Vargas is the projected third baseman, though he didn’t hit at all after coming over from the Dodgers in the Michael Kopech/Erick Fedde deadline deal. Glove-first utilityman Lenyn Sosa might get first look at the keystone. There’s a clear opportunity for Lipcius to hit his way into the mix during Spring Training.
sjwil1
haha doesn’t matter
roob
The Sox are great at signing every “almost major leaguer.”
Captain K-Midd
Deeeeeee-Lipcious
bmann300
They actually signed someone who hit over .200 in the majors? Small sample but still looks good.
watchingthefray
Basically they are a minor league team. Word to the wise, you can often see a game at The Rate for minor league prices, maybe less.
avenger65
watchingthefray: And even then. Reinsdorf lowered ticket prices to $15 this year and still couldn’t get anyone in the park.
Jump 84
Mr. Reinsdorf please sell the team. Terrible brand of baseball from ownership to low minors. Ask the Southside
lilojbone
Facts, especially when ones recalls that the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers lost the Carolina League Championship to the Fredericksburg Nationals, and please do not get me started on the Burmingham Barons 2024 season.
NoNeckWilliams
Ramos, Vargas and Lipcius should have a good spring training battle for 3B.
disadvantage
A strong contender for the lone White Sox 2025 All-Star representative.
cwsOverhaul
That is a good poll question for AS rep. My wild guess is recent rule 5 pickup Shane Smith they got from the Brewers.
Dumpster Divin Theo
He’s going to avenge his abrupt and untimely demise with the Tiggers like Ken driving the steamroller towards Otto at the end of Fish Called Wanda. “Revenge for Wanda!”
For Love of the Game
Tigers fan here. Thumbs up. Not hoping for revenge, but it seems like discarded players tend to come back to haunt their former team. Or more likely, we just remember the occasions when it happens.
Dumpster Divin Theo
Maybe room for Baddoo too (ryhme)
avenger65
Big day for Getz. I wonder if he gets on the ground so he can find these bottom feeders.
Acoss1331
The owners at the company I work for are season ticket holders, and one of them was talking to my boss and I saying how the prices went up for 2025. We were all in agreement that Jerry had some brass balls for making that move.
Dumpster Divin Theo
Hey those Campfire milk shakes cost $ – have you seen the price of cocoa lately?
PutPeteinthehall
This is a great move. They should sign/ trade for 20-25 of others teams rejects. At least 15 players making the team need to be new replacement players and stash the others signed or gotten in trades in AA/AAA. The product on the field the last two years was mostly lifeless garbage. Just going thru the motions. They have some minor league players that will be ready soon. Another losing season but am expecting to see effort now.
Dumpster Divin Theo
Wait, isn’t that the imdb plot exposition of Major League (1989)
whyhayzee
Fred’s grandson?
stymeedone
Again with the player being dismissed because he “doesn’t make a lot of hard contact.” What goes with that seems to be a higher batting average. Look at the slash line. I couldn’t care less about how hard he hits the ball, if he’s able to get that result.
south side hit men
OMG they’re going to be worse next year than this year. If Robert stays halfway healthy, he’ll be moved. Why am I still a fan?